Creating a healthy balance one sip at a time.

Month: June 2015

I’ve dealt with allergies my entire life. I was the kid who had a permanent white line on her nose from rubbing it so much. I also spent the majority of my childhood outside, so my parents and allergist tried every treatment possible to keep the misery at bay. I’ve tried all sorts of pills, shots, nasal sprays, neti-pots, honey, humidifiers, dehumidifiers…you name it, I’ve tried it.

I’m allergic to the outdoors and animals only in the warmer months, so October-March I rarely have any issues. Once the pollen started to fall this year, I was yet again miserable. After having dinner with my friend Allie and chatting about our miserable noses, she told me about how acupuncture has changed her life. Without asking any questions or doing research on acupuncture, I immediately made an appointment.

After making my appointment, I decided to do a little research as to what I was getting myself into. I learned that acupuncture helps with A LOT of things, including joint pain/arthritis. I’ve had joint pain off an on throughout the years, but in the last year, it’s been very consistent. I’ve been tested for lots of autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid (RA) arthritis and they all came back negative. Now, that doesn’t mean a whole lot as RA is hard to diagnose (both my mother and my grandmother have RA), but stil means we don’t really know what’s going on with my body.

At my appointment, I explained both my allergies and joint pain issues to Tessa. She immediately asked about my gluten intake. Now, I’ve tried to cut out gluten before when all the other cool kids were doing it, but I just love my bread so much I eventually fell back into a pile of wheat. But, after Tessa explained that gluten has a strong effect on joint pain, allergies, skin rashes, and acne, I was convinced to jump back on the gluten-free wagon.

After that, the acupuncture and cupping began.

Don’t ask me to explain what cupping does. Tessa explained it in great detail and I just ended up nodding and going along with it. All I know is that Jennifer Aniston does it, so I figure it must be good for me. None of this hurt at all, though I did have some cupping marks on my back for a few days. I also had needles sticking out of my toes, head, face, and fingers.

The whole appointment took a little less than 2 hours. I was mostly relaxed (even though seeing all those needles sticking out of me freaked me out a little bit) and never felt uncomfortable. After a little over a week, my allergies have been completely under control and my joint pain totally gone. Also within this week, I’ve totally cut out gluten (in addition to being vegetarian) and have started taking a Chinese supplement, Yu Ping Feng San.

I currently feel great. I know it’s only been a week, but I also know that during the summer I’m used to having bad allergy days on a regular basis, and my joint pain has been flaring up every 3-4 days prior to this treatment. I’m going to go back for another appointment next week and continue with the herbs and gluten-free diet. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to feel better.